Reconstructing the Ancient Maya Wetland Fields of the Central Rio Bravo, Belize

Summary

This is an abstract from the "2023 Fryxell Award Symposium: Papers in Honor of Timothy Beach Part II" session, at the 88th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

Lidar acquired in 2016 in northwest Belize revealed an expanse of ~7 km2 of ancient Maya raised fields and canals along the Rio Bravo floodplain near the ancient Maya site of Wari Camp. This is half of all the wetland field area found from lidar in this region. Excavations and multiproxy data provide the first evidence for this expansive agricultural system’s chronology and use. We hypothesize rapid soil erosion occurred at the end of the Late Preclassic period, coinciding with rising populations and urban construction in the watershed. Erosion quickly stabilized and the floodplain returned to natural aggradation. Radiocarbon dating of paleosols suggests the fields were constructed at the end of the Late Preclassic and beginning of the Early Classic, during a period of cultural transition and regional drought. After initial construction, the system was likely expanded at the end of the Terminal Classic, during more intense drought and cultural transition. Stable carbon isotope ratios suggest maize was a prevalent crop on the fields and the floodplain. While the chronology of these fields reflects the broader regional Maya history, additional excavations, radiocarbon dates, and multiproxy data will refine our understanding of this system’s use and its importance for long-term resilience.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• 2023 Fryxell Award Symposium: Papers in Honor of Timothy Beach Part II   •
• Society for American Archaeology 88th Annual Meeting, Portland, OR (2023)

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Spatial Coverage

Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 36807.0